Ultrasound detection of oesophageal varices--comparison with endoscopy.

In a prospective study of 100 patients for the detection of oesophageal varices, real-time ultrasound was both sensitive (sensitivity 82%) and specific (specificity 91%) compared with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. All patients with large and medium sized varices were correctly identified by ultrasound. Ultrasound should be considered as an alternative to endoscopy and radiology for detection of oesophageal varices.